
The Football Faithful
·23 agosto 2025
Celtic vs Livingston – Match preview and team news

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Yahoo sportsThe Football Faithful
·23 agosto 2025
Celtic and Livingston clash at Celtic Park on Saturday in a Scottish Premiership encounter that promises excitement.
Both sides will be looking to continue their positive starts to the campaign, with Celtic currently sitting second in the table after two wins from their opening fixtures.
Celtic face potential squad concerns ahead of Saturday’s clash, with Alistair Johnston expected to miss the fixture after suffering a hamstring injury against Kairat Almaty. The Canadian right-back was stretchered off in the Champions League qualifier, meaning Anthony Ralston is likely to deputise in the starting lineup.
Jota remains sidelined with a cruciate ligament injury that will keep the Portuguese winger out until the new year. The club has welcomed back Kieran Tierney from Arsenal on a free transfer, with the Scotland international already making an impressive impact, providing an assist for Benjamin Nygren’s opener against Aberdeen.
Summer signing Nygren has hit the ground running, scoring his first goal for the club and declaring his intention to make an immediate impact rather than wait for opportunities. Brendan Rodgers has expressed frustration over the club’s transfer activity, stating the lack of reinforcements for crucial matches was “not my decision”.
Livingston will be without several key players for their trip to Glasgow. Aidan Denholm, Cameron Kerr, and Danny Wilson are all unavailable due to injury concerns. Adam Montgomery cannot feature against his parent club Celtic, having joined Livingston on loan.
Manager David Martindale recently committed his future to the club, signing a new contract until 2027 with an option for a further year. The longest-serving manager in the Scottish Premiership guided Livingston back to the top flight after just one season in the Championship.
Martindale has identified strengthening the squad as a priority before the transfer window closes, particularly targeting a right-back. The manager expressed confidence about facing Celtic, acknowledging them as the “best team in the country”.
The Hoops have made a perfect start to their Premiership campaign with victories over St Mirren (1-0) and Aberdeen (2-0). However, their midweek Champions League qualifier against Kairat Almaty ended in frustration with a goalless draw at Celtic Park. Rodgers’ side also progressed in the Premier Sports Cup with a commanding 4-1 victory over Falkirk.
The Lions have impressed so far, collecting four points from their opening two league fixtures. They secured a memorable 3-1 home victory over Falkirk after earning a creditable 2-2 draw away to Kilmarnock. However, their Premier Sports Cup journey ended with a 0-2 home defeat to Hibernian.
Celtic: Schmeichel; Ralston, Carter-Vickers, Scales, Tierney; McGregor, Hatate, Nygren; Forrest, Maeda, Yang
Livingston: Prior; Finlayson, McGowan, Blaney, Lawal; Pittman, Tait, Sylla; Smith, Muirhead, Winter
UK fans can watch the match on Sky Sports Football with comprehensive coverage of the Scottish Premiership fixture.